Evaluation of a Non-contact Diode Laser Coagulation vs. Electrocautery in Hemostasis in Lid Surgery

Appropriate hemostasis is a fundamental principle of modern surgery. The operations of the eyelids are very demanding in terms of precision of the equipment used to induce hemostasis. Nowadays one of the most frequently used methods for inhibition of intraoperative bleeding is bipolar electrocoagulation. However, this method has its limitations, of which the process of charred tissue adhesion to the tip of the probe, what significantly hinders the surgery, is the most vital one. With the increasing use of lasers in medicine, more and more often systems of laser contact cutting and coagulation are used. Unfortunately, despite the higher precision of performance, they have the same drawback as electrocogulation, namely the adhesion of charred tissue. In our study we compare the efficacy of a bipolar contact electrocoagulation with the non-contact method using a diode laser during dermatochalasis surgery of 60 eyes in 30 patients. There have been shown a clear shortening of time to achieve hemostasis in the eyes treated with laser coagulation. With no contact with the bleeding tissue, laser coagulation precisely and without delay inhibits bleeding, which significantly shortens the time of surgery. Cost-efficiency of diode lasers, as well as no need for sterilization of the laser probe further enhance the advantages of this method, which in the case of eyelid surgery has better performance results than electrocoagulation.